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While this is a great way to check out a book before making a purchase. Or even pulling up on your tablet device and enjoying it with your child, without having to buy the book at all. It does seem like copyright infringement.

The idea that the person who took the time to read the book and produce the video is is hidden behind an a silhouette avatar and the name "OU93" clearing indicates that the person is not interested in revealing their identity. At this stage of the web's development I don't think anyone should be able to do anything and remain completely anonymous hidden behind a fake name, but that is a conversation for another post...

At any rate, I guess one can argue that this is a really old book and who cares. Or that what is the difference between having the book read to you on-line and going to Barnes & Noble and reading the book with your child there? Isn't it amazing how many people pull up into a B&N superstore with children in tow, spending hours reading books to their children -- without buying a thing? But I digress once again.

Suppose someone posted a YouTube video of someone reading a novel aloud, would that be cool? I'm sure the person downloading the video to the Ipod and listening to the book like a free audio book would think it is cool. But I suspect the author, publisher and whoever had the audio rights would disagree.

I have yet to look for a song on Youtube and not find it. I can find music on Youtube that I can't find on Itunes. Again anyone can download all this music and listen to it for free. I understand that most teens simply do not buy music. Maybe that is why concert tickets are so expensive.

It seems to me that Youtube, a great platform, but also seems to be one of the worse offenders of copyright infringement, in the history of the legal concept and is making tremendous amounts of money in the process.

Indeed I can even profit (a little, very little) by showing videos like this on my website, enhancing my website's content -- all for free. The author and publisher never have to be paid and or even informed. This model seems to be screwed up.